What Is A Chemical Process That Releases Energy?

A chemical process is any reaction between substances that leads to a chemical change. Chemical processes involve the rearrangement of the atomic or molecular structure of substances, forming new chemical products with different properties than the reactants.

Many chemical processes involve the release or absorption of energy. Exothermic chemical processes are reactions that release energy, usually in the form of heat. The energy released comes from the breaking and formation of chemical bonds within the reactants and products. For example, combustion reactions that burn fuels are exothermic – the energy released can be harnessed to do work.

Endothermic chemical processes absorb energy, often in the form of heat. These reactions require an input of energy to break bonds and reorganize atoms and molecules into new arrangements. Endothermic processes like photosynthesis store energy in the chemical bonds of the newly formed products.

Whether a chemical process releases or absorbs energy depends on the relative strength of the chemical bonds broken and formed during the reaction. Exothermic processes result in more energy being released from the stronger bonds in the reactants than is required to form the weaker bonds in the products.

Table of Contents

Combustion

Combustion is a chemical process in which a fuel reacts rapidly with oxygen, generating a flame and releasing energy in the form of heat and light. This exothermic reaction occurs between a combustible material (the fuel) and an oxidizer (usually oxygen in air).

In a complete combustion reaction, the fuel burns completely in oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water as waste products. For example, when natural gas (primarily methane, CH4) undergoes complete combustion with oxygen:

CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O + energy

The energy released allows the reaction to proceed and is emitted as heat and light. This makes combustion reactions very useful as an energy source. The energy can be harnessed for heating, power generation, transportation, and other applications.

Common examples of combustion include fire, burning candles, gas stoves and ovens, internal combustion engines in cars and trucks, and rocket engines. Wherever a flame is present, a combustion reaction is occurring between a fuel source and an oxidizer.

For combustion to take place, the reaction requires fuel, oxygen, and an ignition source. Fuel can be a solid, liquid or gas, while oxygen is typically from the air. The ignition source locally raises the temperature to initiate the reaction. Combustion converts the stored chemical energy in the fuel into heat and light energy.

Oxidation

Oxidation is a chemical process that involves the loss of electrons or an increase in oxidation state of a molecule, atom, or ion. Oxidation most commonly occurs when a substance chemically combines with oxygen. The oxidation process transfers electrons from one substance to another, which plays an important role in many chemical and biological processes.

For example, the oxidation of iron turns iron into rust: the iron atoms lose electrons to oxygen atoms. This reaction, called iron oxidation, is what gives rust its characteristic red color. The addition of oxygen atoms to iron reduces the iron’s strength and durability, weakening structures where rust forms.

Another example is the oxidation of glucose in the human body. This process, called cellular respiration, takes place in cells and converts glucose to energy. Oxygen is required for the oxidation of glucose, which produces carbon dioxide, water, and energy in the form of ATP. This energy fuels all the biological processes needed to sustain life.

In summary, oxidation involves an electron transfer that results in a release of energy. The addition of oxygen or the removal of hydrogen from a compound are examples of oxidation reactions. These reactions play an imperative role in corrosion, combustion, aging, metabolism, and other natural processes.

Thermite Reactions

Thermite reactions are a type of exothermic chemical reaction that produce a great deal of heat. They involve metal oxides as oxidizing agents and elemental metals as reducing agents. The most common type of thermite reaction uses iron oxide and aluminum:

Fe2O3 (iron oxide) + 2Al (aluminum) → 2Fe (iron) + Al2O3 (alumina)

When ignited, this thermite reaction can reach temperatures over 4,000°F. The large amount of heat released is due to the formation of aluminum oxide from the highly oxidizing iron oxide.

Thermite reactions have several specialized applications. They are used in welding to join railway rails together. The extreme heat from the thermite reaction quickly melts the steel rails, producing a strong weld. Thermite grenades containing thermite are also sometimes used by the military for incendiary purposes.

Overall, thermite reactions provide dramatic examples of highly exothermic chemical processes. The heat released from these oxidation-reduction reactions is much greater than normal combustion reactions. This makes thermite useful when extremely high temperatures are needed for welding, incendiary devices, or other applications.

Digestion

Digestion is the process of breaking down food into molecules small enough for the body to absorb. As enzymes in the digestive system break down large molecules like carbohydrates, proteins and fats into smaller molecules like simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids, energy is released.

For example, when carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars like glucose, the chemical bonds holding the large carbohydrate molecules together are broken. This releases energy that can then be used by the body. The body gets about 4 calories of energy from every gram of carbohydrate digested.

Proteins are also broken down during digestion into amino acids, which releases energy. Fat digestion is more complex, but ultimately also leads to fatty acids and glycerol being absorbed and providing energy.

In total, the digestive process allows the energy stored in the chemical bonds of food to be extracted and used by the cells of the body. Without this release of energy from digestion, the body would not be able to function.

Fermentation

Fermentation is a metabolic process in which an organism like yeast or bacteria converts sugars into acids, gases, or alcohols in the absence of oxygen. For example, yeast performs fermentation on sugars, producing carbon dioxide gas and ethanol. This is the process used in brewing beer and making wine. Bacteria can also ferment sugars into lactic acid, which is what gives yogurt and sauerkraut their sour taste. In the human body, certain cells like those in muscles can undergo fermentation to produce lactic acid when oxygen levels are low. Overall, fermentation is an anaerobic process that does not require oxygen and provides a way for organisms to harvest energy from sugars or other molecules.

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical process in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by the addition of a water molecule. One fragment of the parent molecule gains a hydrogen ion (H+) from the additional water molecule. The other fragment gains the remaining hydroxyl group (OH-) from the water molecule.

This reaction results in the consumption of the additional water molecule. The energy for splitting the water comes from the cleavage of the bonds in the parent molecule. Hydrolysis reactions require a water molecule and energy input to proceed.

One example is the hydrolysis of sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose. The oxygen atom in water bonds to the sucrose molecule, breaking it into the two monosaccharides. ATP powers this endothermic reaction in cells.

Another common hydrolysis reaction is the breakdown of proteins into amino acids by denaturing the protein structure. Hydrolysis reactions play critical biochemical roles in digestion and metabolism.

Radioactive Decay

Radioactive decay is a process in which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and radiation. This occurs when an unstable isotope transforms into a more stable isotope by releasing excess energy. There are several types of radioactive decay, but all involve the emission of energy.

For example, in alpha decay an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle, which is a helium nucleus consisting of two protons and two neutrons. This transforms the original element into a new element with a different atomic number. In beta decay, a neutron is converted into a proton and an electron, which is ejected from the nucleus as a beta particle. Gamma decay occurs when a nucleus in an excited energy state releases a high-energy photon (gamma ray) to return to a more stable state.

In each of these radioactive decays, energy is released in the form of kinetic energy of the emitted particles and electromagnetic energy of the photons. This releases a substantial amount of energy from the decaying radioactive atoms. For instance, the decay of one gram of uranium-235 releases around 20 billion joules of energy. This makes radioactive materials good sources of energy for nuclear power plants, wherein controlled fission reactions generate heat to produce electricity. Radioactive decay also produces energy that keeps Earth’s interior hot and fuels geothermal energy. The spontaneous release of energy from radioactive decay is what defines these materials as being radioactive.

Exothermic Chemical Reactions

Exothermic reactions are chemical reactions that release energy in the form of heat. Some common examples of exothermic reactions include:

Combustion reactions – When fuels like wood, coal, or natural gas are burned, the chemical bonds in the fuel are broken and new bonds are formed with oxygen. This releases a large amount of heat energy, which is why combustion is used in furnaces, engines, and power plants.
Oxidation reactions – The rusting of iron is an oxidation reaction that gives off heat. The space shuttle and other spacecraft reenter the atmosphere at very high speeds, and the friction with air causes the external surfaces to oxidize, releasing enough heat to require special thermal shielding.
Neutralization reactions – When an acid and base are mixed, the acid donates a proton and base accepts it. This reaction generates water and a salt while releasing heat.

Digestion in animals – The breaking down of complex food molecules like fats, carbohydrates and proteins into simpler molecules releases energy that cells can use. Digestion is a collection of catabolic, exothermic reactions.
Chemical explosives – Explosives contain unstable molecules that can decompose very rapidly. This decomposition produces gases that expand extremely quickly, generating pressure waves experienced as an explosion. It also releases significant amounts of heat.

These are just a few examples of exothermic chemical reactions that release energy in the form of heat. Exothermic reactions play an important role in chemical, biological, and industrial processes.

Conclusion

Several chemical processes can release energy in the form of heat, light, or electricity. Combustion, oxidation, thermite reactions, digestion, fermentation, hydrolysis, and radioactive decay are all examples of exothermic chemical reactions that release energy.

Combustion involves a fuel source chemically combining with oxygen and giving off heat energy. This is the process that powers internal combustion engines, stoves, furnaces, and thermal power plants. Combustion reactions can produce light as well, such as in a candle flame or fireworks explosion.

Oxidation reactions involve oxygen reacting with another substance and releasing energy. Many oxidation reactions happen spontaneously and rapidly, like when iron rusts or food spoils. Digestion and fermentation are examples of biological oxidation processes.

Thermite reactions occur when metal powders react with metal oxides, producing extremely high temperatures. This can be used to weld metals together. Digestion in animals and fermentation processes by microbes break down organic matter in foods, releasing chemical energy that cellular metabolism can utilize.

Other chemical reactions like hydrolysis and radioactive decay give off energy as they produce chemical changes. Overall, many important processes in industry, nature, and everyday life rely on chemical reactions releasing energy.